The Presidential Daily Brief

intriguing

China Looms Over Indonesia’s Presidential Election

As rumors swirl about China rigging next month’s vote, OZY reports that a social media misinformation campaign is threatening to derail the re-election of Indonesia’s pro-China president. Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been accused of benefitting from forged ballots smuggled in from China, pushing communism in Indonesia’s schools and allowing illegal Chinese immigrants to flood the country.

How can he hang on? Mindful that ties with China have cost leaders in the Maldives and Malaysia their jobs, Jokowi must balance a tough stand against Beijing’s mass incarceration of Muslim Uighurs while also welcoming its cash for badly needed infrastructure projects.